Lousy selfish teachers and their summer vacations and their constant complaining.

Have you ever taught anything?

Miserable job now. The students are complete trash, and that's in the suburbs. Try teaching someone when they're clinging to their phones constantly.

It is going to be an inconvenience for me but I'm standing with the teachers.

So automatically stand with the teachers blindly? There have been strikes and education has eroded since I was in kindergarten. Can we find any other reason for that other than supposed underpay of teachers? They get paid and however you measure it everyone says education sucks.

Same shit. Every year. Every decade. Every school. I am not blaming teachers but this flashpoint MUST be missing the root cause.

What is the ROOT cause?!

Not teachers.

Nor is it every school.

Parent participation and involvement is a huge issue.

Who said it was blindly? The teachers in Chicago have been getting screwed for decades. We give them limited resources and expect them to educate 38 kids in 1 class. Somehow we always find the funds for cops and firemen.

Not teachers.

Nor is it every school.

Parent participation and involvement is a huge issue.

Hasn't the number employed in each profession been declining as new hires aren't outpacing retirees? Should two wrongs lead to a 3rd?

If parent participation is a large factor in the success of a student then why should salary increases, benefits and pensions be required for teachers?

Hasn't the number employed in each profession been declining as new hires aren't outpacing retirees? Should two wrongs lead to a 3rd?

If parent participation is a large factor in the success of a student then why should salary increases, benefits and pensions be required for teachers?

Recruitment. Teachers are part of the equation, of course, but parents put the students in the right frame of mind to learn. So you need good ones. If you want good ones, you're gonna have to pay for them. Catholic schools lose good teachers all the time because they can't or won't pay them. Sure, some stay, but most will leave. I've seen it happen with my own teachers, with colleagues, and with my kids' teachers.

I don't think CPS teachers should get pensions--they should be doing 401k/403b like everyone else.

One of my close friends is a CPS teacher. He is okay with the switch but only if the city puts all the money he is supposed to get ,ie their matching.

It isn't just about salary though. Personally I believe teachers should be paid more than cops and firemen. In my world they are far more important. We nickel and dime them and don't give them the tools they need and then expect them to educate 40 kids. That's fucking ridiculous

Exactly.

My teacher friends say the same.

Pay up and make the switch from pension to 401k, no problem.

That won't happen though.

Teachers aren't more important than cops or firefighters. There's nothing uniquely special about teaching--it's valuable, but people sentimentalize the profession all the time. That kind of hat-tipping does no one any good. I say that as a teacher.

Of course, if we want good teachers, we have to pay a competitive wage. I am all for that. The number of unintelligent and lazy people who go into teaching is staggering.

Another problem is that we need more teachers and schools. 30-40 kids per class? That dog don't hunt. It just can't be done. Maybe in a different context it could, but in most contexts in today's world, it can't.

Teachers aren't more important than cops or firefighters. There's nothing uniquely special about teaching--it's valuable, but people sentimentalize the profession all the time. That kind of hat-tipping does no one any good. I say that as a teacher.

Of course, if we want good teachers, we have to pay a competitive wage. I am all for that. The number of unintelligent and lazy people who go into teaching is staggering.

Another problem is that we need more teachers and schools. 30-40 kids per class? That dog don't hunt. It just can't be done. Maybe in a different context it could, but in most contexts in today's world, it can't.

Educating our future generations is far more important than a cop or a fireman. The fact that MANY people don't believe that is one of the primary reasons we are falling behind.

Educating our future generations is far more important than a cop or a fireman. The fact that MANY people don't believe that is one of the primary reasons we are falling behind.